Food stamp cuts bill could delay aid in Texas, raise state's costs

WASHINGTON — Texans seeking food stamps could face delays, and the state could pay more under a House bill that would cut $39 billion from the federal program.

The legislation would complicate the application process and put more pressure on state “workfare” programs, experts say.

“For the state, it’s going to create a major set of snafus,” said Kevin Concannon, a top U.S. Department of Agriculture official.

Current rules allow those who qualify for other federal aid programs to automatically qualify for the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, or SNAP, as well. Getting rid of that shortcut, known as categorical eligibility, could cost as many as 160,000 Texans food assistance, according to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. That’s about 6 percent of Texans who receive such benefits.

The bill passed the House last month but faces an uphill battle in the Senate, particularly now that Congress is locked up in a battle over the government shutdown.

Republicans in favor of the bill have said those who lose benefits because of the changes can reapply for SNAP separately. The changes would keep those who don’t qualify off food stamp rolls, they say.

The Congressional Research Service recently said the current practices were designed to make the food stamp process simpler and more accurate. Its report said that separate eligibility tests for families receiving multiple benefits are “redundant” and “inefficient.”

Experts say requiring separate tests for SNAP would place more burden on state agencies.

“There will definitely be an increase in administrative costs and in their error rates,” Concannon said.

The error rate for SNAP nationally is less than 4 percent, he said, and the rules to be eliminated are a large part of that success. Concannon said errors can include underpayment or overpayment of food stamps, as well as benefits going to those who are not eligible.

“If the legislation passes and we have to process these additional applications, we can easily absorb them into our current caseload,” said commission spokeswoman Linda Edwards Gockel.

In the past, the commission has struggled to keep up with demand. It spent $11 million in 2010 to hire 250 new workers after a federal lawsuit over months-long delays in processing applications.

Gockel said the commission has vastly improved its response time since 2010. She said additional training and system updates could be needed if the bill is passed.

The new SNAP legislation could put other burdens on Texas. Young, healthy individuals not supporting families are limited to three months of benefits in a three-year period under current rules. But states have been able to request waivers on those limits for people living in poverty-stricken areas. The new legislation would eliminate those waivers.

Gov. Rick Perry has consistently applied for these waivers, which exempted about 40,000 Texans from time limits on their benefits this year.

Supporters of the bill say eliminating waivers would encourage more food stamp recipients to find work. Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Dallas, noted during debate on the bill in the House that “there are still jobs in America” and said the bill would be an incentive for those using SNAP to find them.

But opponents of the bill said that jobs are scarce in the fragile economy. Cutting work waivers could in turn put more stress on Texas’ welfare-to-work programs as unemployed SNAP recipients enroll in state or nonprofit workfare and job training programs.

“What they’re talking about is demanding more people work but offering less training funds,” said Rachel Cooper, a nutrition policy analyst at the Austin-based Center for Public Policy Priorities, which advocates for poor Texans.

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